You might think it sad that we live in a society where there’s pressure on some people to change the natural colour of their skin.

Worse, there’s a hidden market in skin-lightening creams that are cheaper than the major brands, but could come at a deadly cost.

This illegal trade is widespread. In 2016, I told how three shops in the same street had been prosecuted for selling creams containing the banned bleaching agent hydroquinone, which can cause cancer, as well as liver and kidney failure.

Now the first shopkeeper has been jailed for selling illegal skin-whitening products.

Mohammed Bharodawala, 45, of Jenny’s Cosmetics in Southwark, South London, was given a 20-month sentence, and disqualified from being a company director for four years, and his company was fined £1,500.

Mohammed Bharodawala arrives at Inner London Crown Court (Image: PA)

The father of six admitted nine charges of selling the products which contained the banned ingredient and 15 charges relating to inadequate labelling of the products.

While under investigation by trading standards, he was caught by the UK Border Agency trying to sneak more banned products into the country. He’s got previous, being sentenced in 2015 to a 12-month suspended sentence and £1,300 fine for similar offences.

His brother Abdul Bharodawala, 35, ran the business’s online operation selling the same creams, and was given 80 hours community work and his company fined £500.

An analysis of the "Jenny’s Online’" eBay account shows that over ten months it sold 654 packs of skin whitening products, with an approximate retail value of £6500.

Danger: Some of the illegal products

Judge Freya Newberry, at Inner London crown court, said they had tried to profit from “exploiting the anxieties and sensitivities of women and men who are culturally and socially motivated to lighten their skin”.

She added: “There’s no doubt that you knew what your obligations were and you should not have been marketing products which contained banned substances, especially hydroquinone.

“I’m quite satisfied you knew exactly what you were selling and sourced them for the people who wanted to buy them from you."

Since January 2016, 77 shops and businesses have been prosecuted by London Trading Standards alone for selling illegal skin-whiteners – racking up fines and orders for costs totalling £377,094.

Evelyn Akoto (Image: PA)

Speaking after this week’s sentencing, Councillor Evelyn Akoto, of Southwark Council, said: “This prosecution is just the tip of the iceberg and sends out a strong message to all the vendors of illegal skin-lightening creams that we are actively pursuing you.

“We are going to seek you out and prosecute you as and when we find you.”

Brand names of the illegal products included Flori's Duo and Grace Duo, which was found in laboratory tests to contain 17.6% hydroquinone, the second highest ever recorded in the borough.